Alabama State University, in the “large school” division and Winston Salem State University, in the “small school” division capped off memorable regular seasons on the baseball diamond by being crowned Historically Black College and University (HBCU) National Champions by the polling committee at Black College Nines.
Alabama State University topped the voting in the first week’s poll of March 17th and remained at the top for the entire 2015 season while clinching its second straight Southwestern Athletic Conference Eastern Division title. The SWAC tournament remains on the schedule for the Hornets with a possible NCAA Division I post-season bid in the offering. Alabama State University finished the regular season with a record of 30-17.
Winston Salem State University, ranked second in the first week of the “small school” poll, climbed to first place the second week and remained in the top spot the rest of the season. The Rams ballclub was both the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association regular season champion and the conference tournament champ. Winston Salem State University finished the regular season with a record of 40-13 and will next compete in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Tournament later this week.
Black College Nines is dedicated to preserving the tradition of baseball at historically black colleges and universities and is in its first year of selecting national champions. The “large school” division is made up of HBCUs in the NCAA Division I classification and the “small school” division consists of HBCU schools in the NCAA Divisions II and III, as well as those schools in the NAIA.
The final 2015 divisional polls are as follows…
| No. | School | Conference | Record | Previous |
| 1 | Alabama State University | SWAC | 30-17 | 1 |
| 2 | Norfolk State Unversity | MEAC | 26-14 | 2 |
| 3 | Jackson State University | SWAC | 30-23 | 3 |
| 4 | Texas Southern University | SWAC | 26-16 | 6 |
| 5 | Alabama A&M University | SWAC | 26-29 | 5 |
| 6 | University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | SWAC | 25-16 | 4 |
| 7 | Florida A&M University | MEAC | 20-23 | 7 |
| 8 | Southern University | SWAC | 17-22 | 8 |
| 9 | Savannah State University | MEAC | 20-31 | 9 |
| 10 | North Carolina Central University | MEAC | 19-30 | 10 |
|
Dropped Out: None Others Receiving Votes (Listed Alphabetically): Bethune Cookman University |
||||
| No. | School | Conference | Record | Previous |
| 1 | Winston-Salem State University | CIAA | 40-13 | 1 |
| 2 | West Virginia State University | MEC | 35-14 | 2 |
| 3 | Edward Waters College | GCAC | 34-22 | 4 |
| 4 | Talladega College | GCAC | 30-25 | 3 |
| 5 | Jarvis Christian College | RRAC | 30-23 | 7 |
| 6 | Selma University | Independent | 17-10 | 6 |
| 7 | Virginia State University | CIAA | 25-18 | 5 |
| 8 | Benedict College | SIAC | 23-17 | 8 |
| 9 | Wiley College | RRAC | 22-25 | 9 |
| 10 | Paine College | SIAC | 19-25 | 10 |
|
Dropped Out: None Others Receiving Votes (Listed Alphabetically): Albany State University, Tuskegee University |
||||
The voting committee is made up of a distinguished and distinctive group whose members continue to promote black college baseball at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The group includes Ruffin Bell, originator of the former Black College Baseball HBCU National Championship poll and current Cheney State University Athletic Director. As well, the committee includes members of the College Baseball Hall of Fame’s Black College Legends and Pioneers Committee – Harold Michael Harvey, Jay Sokol, John Winters and the previously mentioned Ruffin Bell. Chuck Curti, national sports journalists and Michael Coker, political blogger, round out the voting panel. Bell, Harvey and Coker each played baseball at HBCU schools. Champions will be named for two divisions… the “large school” division will be composed of the 20 HBCU schools representing NCAA Division I and a “small school” division made up of the 34 HBCU schools with NCAA Division II, Division III, NAIA and independent status.
Previous Poll Results: (click on links below)
Week 1 (March 17, 2015)
Week 2 (March 24, 2015)
Week 3 (March 31, 2015)
Week 4 (April 7, 2015)
Week 5 (April 14, 2015)
Week 6 (April 21, 2015)
Week 7 (April 28, 2015)
Week 8 (May 5, 2015)
Final Poll (May 12, 2015)